Double snap molding clip



March 17, 1953 0, J, POUPITCH 2,631,345

DOUBLE SNAP MOLDING CLIP Filed June l1, 1951 Pefented Mar. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE Ougljesa Jules Poupitch, Itasca; Illassignerv to IllinoisI Tool Works; Chica'gogflll'., a corporationof` Illinoisy Applicationlune 11, 1951v, SeriaLNo. 23.05880 7' Claims. (01; 24d-73') This application. relates. generally to. fastening devices. and particularly to fastening devices ca.- pable of being usedto secure molding strips. and the like. in, I Jlaee.V

Various clips heretofore have been constructed for securing molding strips. inpl'ace. Such clips generally havev been usable withl only. one size molding strip and therefore it. has. beenneoessary to. utilizey clips. of different sizesf for securing tapered. moldings place;w Other. clipshave. been devised. having non-circular head portions.. rotatable. into position. to.` bridge a. channeled molding strip and thus-to. secure molding strips oidifferer1-t, sizes or to securetapered molding strips.

An .objectof this .invention isto provide a clip for'securing moldings or. the like, said clip. having an. elongated; headI adapted. to engage the. molding over a substantial' length.. and thereby affording incr-.eased stability and improved adaptation. to secure: tapered moldings.

Another objeotvofjthis invention is` to. provide an improved molding clip receivable in an. aperturefinar Worlepanel in constant positionregardless ot the width of. the moldingor. the like. tobe secured. by the. clip..

Another. object ot. this, invention is to. provide a clipfor. securing tapered moldings.y wherein. the clip-has spring. membersA engageablewith arnold.- ingjtofforce. the molding tightly against'. a. panel.

At-urther. object of this invention isto provide a. molding; clip. adapted; to be. preassembledi with thec1ip.y head, engaging. a. molding in. one position allowing; utmost freedom of the. clip for assembly and engaging the moldingf in'. another position. to seourathe molding snugly against a panel'.4

Other and; further. objectsand advantages of the. presenty inventionV will; be. apparent. from. the following; description when readY in connection with the accompanying drawingwhereinz.

Fig.. 1. isav perspective view. showing a molding securedzvbythe clips disclosed herein.;`

Fig:.2- isa.. perspective. view of the clip;

Fig.. 3; is af cross-sectional view. of; a molding showing a. clip. parti-ally assembled. therevvitnbe.- fora insertion in` a work.` panel;

FigA 4f is; aiview similar-to Fig'. 3 showing; the clipinsertedv in. the; Work panel;

Fig` 5.a1; longitudinal sectional'. view astaken along: theeline. 5.--5-.1of Fig; 41;.

Fig; Gtisaviewrsimilar tofFigs.. Ban-d 4-showing the: molding. infinal, position against. the. panel;

Fi'g. 7.' isa perspectivefviewof the-back side of a molding strip showing clipsspreassembled. therewith.;- and Fig; Si showsclin-blame' as. originally struck 2. from. sheetv metal and previous tofolding and bending.

The` molding clip forming the subject mattei-fof this invention may' be seenY mostclearlyl its over-al1' aspects in the'perspectiveview of Fig. 2f. The. molding clip includes a` bodyportion H11 and a head including a pair ofv arms |12. The body portion l includes an end section lilL which'` in the disclosed'. embodiment;v isV substantially square configuration, but may bev any'shape to adapt itfor its particular use'. Elongated-mountingor snap in ngers i6 extend from opposite` sides of the end section It. The ngers diverge slightly and are terminated by inturned'tips t8" which are disposed. at obtuse angles' relative to the` main portions of the fingersy H5 and? which are curved ati their extremities at 21').

Apair of legs Z2 extends romthetworemaining edges of the end portion I4; The legs 22 diverge slightly and areY reversely bent at 24 atz a distance. from the er1-dA portion I4 substantially equal to. the end to end length of' each off the ingers i6 including the inturn'edv tipsu lil thereona The reversel'y bent leg. portions 21% are formed integrally with the arms l2 which areeonsidere ably elongated transversely of the bodyi portion IU. Each of 'the armsZZ presents a substantially Srshaped cross section affording a retaining shoulder it andan outer'edge or no2-; a groove 30 being, defined between each shoulder 2'6 and. 1m28.

The. clip forming the subject matter" of this invention is. stamped" from sheet metal"j asA shown irrFig. Sandis substantiallyy in the form cfay pair of; letter Es arranged back to back; The" arms i2legs 2K2, and. fingers te includingthe tips I8 thereof then. are bent into. the configuration shown. in Fig.. 2. and described' heretofore. The clip then preferably is, heat treated' to rendern; resilient..

A moldingA such. as. may be secured by vrnyclip is; illustrated in Figs. 1. and" 34-611and is identified generally by the numeral 32. The molding 32 comprises an elongated.y substantially channel*- shaped. centrali body portion. 3d?. of any desired configuration and4 having longitudinally extend#- ing irl-turned flanges' 35 opposing one another along the opposite longitudinal edges ofv the'central body portion. TheY molding is adapt/edf to be. secured to a panel 33, suchl as'theside-off an automobileibody, and this panel includes spaced apertures-d0. In Fig. l, part' of'the'mold-ingor molding. strip 3 2' has' been brokenv away and* the portion removed is shown in dotted lines-'in-order best.. to illustrate the cooperation'- offv the mold-l ing with the apertures 40. In order to mount the molding 32 on the panel 38, several of the molding clips are preassembled with the molding in spaced relation in accordance with the spacing between the apertures 40. The clips are preassembled with the molding strip by fiexing the legs 22 slightly toward one another to engage the molding fianges 26 with the grooves 30 of the clip head as shown in Fig. 3. The various clips then are positioned in the apertures 40, the fingers I6 exing toward one another entirely independently of the arms I2 and then springingr outwardly with the tips IB impingng against opposite edges of the apertures 40 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. With the molding mounted on the grooves 30 as just set forth, the clips have utmost freedom and their positions relative to the apertures 40 readily can be gauged visually.v

After the clips have been inserted in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5, continued pressure on the molding strip 32 causes the flanges 36 to clamp or snap over and beneath the shoulders 26 as shown in Fig. 6. The narrowness of the fingers I6 compared with the legs 22 and the favorable camming angle of the fingers I6 and edges of the apertures 40 compared with the camming angles between the arm shoulders 26 and molding flanges 36 insures complete seating of the clips before engagement of the flanges behind the shoulders. The resiliency of the clip including the arms I2 causes the shoulders 26 to clamp the flanges 36 against the channel 38 to draw the molding tightly into place.

The molding clips as disclosed herein have particular applicability to the mounting of tapered moldings as may be seen in Fig. 7. Toward the right hand end of the molding section 32a shown in Fig. 7, the flanges 36a are relatively far apart and the clip legs 22 diverge as in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. As the confronting flanges 36a are not parallel, the legs 22 ,twist slightly to allow the arms 22 to engage the flanges 36a throughout the lengths of the arms. At the left hand end of the molding clip in addition to the twisting of the arms 22, the arms are deflected toward one another due to the close approach of the flanges 36a to one another at that location.

The fiexing of the legs 22 toward one another is accomplished relatively readily due to the length of the legs 22. The length of the arms I2 results in greater stability of the clips on the molding and further provides long lever arms twisting the legs 22, and the length of these legs allows them to twist readily, to allow the arms I2 to secure the moldings 32a over substantial lengths rather than with essentially point contact as is done with many other clips. As the fingers and tips I8 thereon are joined to the legs 22 only through the intermediary of the end section I4, twisting and flexing of the legs 22 has no effect on the fingers I6 which continue to engage the opposite sides of each aperture 40 as before.

The clip disclosed herein is admirably suited for securing moldings or the like having different transverse dimensions and particularly is adapted for mounting tapered moldings. The clips are assembled with a molding in a position affording utmost freedom of the clips and the clips then readily are inserted in apertures in a work panel, the inserted position being independent of the proximity or relative angular disposition of the longitudinal flanges of the molding. The clip is simply and economically fabricated and secures moldings, particularly tapered moldings, with a 4 facility and snugness heretofore unknown in the ar The embodiment of the invention herein shown and described is for illustrative purposes only. Various changes obviously can be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims and the right hereby is reserved to make such changes.

I claim:

l. A spring clip including a pair of retaining members each having a shoulder adapted to engage and secure opposed longitudinal edges of a channeled work piece and a retaining lip spaced outwardly from said shoulder and reversely bent relative thereto, said retaining lips also being adapted to engage and secure said opposed longitudinal edges whereby said clip can be preassembled with a channeled work piece and extend therefrom for assembly with an apertured panel, spring means interconnecting said pair of retaining members whereby the spacing therebetween can be varied to accommodated channeled work pieces having oppositely disposed longitudinal edges spaced variantly, and attaching means joined to said spring means and adapted to t within an aperture to secure said channeled work piece against a panel.

2. A spring clip including a head portion having elongated arms, each of said arms having elongated shoulder portions adapted to engage opposed longitudinal edges of a channeled work piece to secure said work piece against a panel and a lip reversely bent relative to said shoulder, said lips being adapted to engage said opposed edges for preassembly of said clip and said channeled work piece, spring means interconnecting said arms whereby the spacing between said arms can be varied to accommodate channeled work pieces having opposed longitudinal edges spaced variantly, and attaching means joined to said spring means and adapted to fit within an aperture to secure said channeled work piece against a panel.

3. A spring clip including a pair of elongated, relatively narrow spring legs, means interconnecting said legs vat one end of each of said legs, an elongated arm on the free end of each of said legs and arranged transversely relative thereto, each of said arms including an elongated retaining lip adapted to engage opposed longitudinal edges of a channeled work piece for preassembly of said clip and work piece and further including a retaining shoulder spaced inwardly from said lip to secure said channeled work piece against a panel, said elongated spring legs readily fiexing and twisting to facilitate assembly of said Aclip with said work piece, and attaching means interconnected with said legs and adapted to fit Within an aperture to secure said channeled work piece against a panel.

4. A one-piece sheet metal spring clip for channeled work pieces having opposed inturned flanges, and comprising a stud section including opposed latching ngers operable to secure the clip within an aperture of the work piece, a head section including an opposed pair of T-shaped members, the legs of said T-shaped members being connected at the entering end of said stud section and being elongated and relatively narrow throughout their lengths from the said entering end of the stud section to a point adjacent the free ends of said latching fingers whereby to permit torsional twisting thereof along their longitudinal axes, the cross arms of said T-shaped members providing heads engageable with the inturned anges of the channeled work pieceand 5 being relatively rigid and elongated to extend substantially laterally beyond the free ends of said latching iingers and provide lever arms of substantial mechanical advantage effective to cause torsional twisting of the said legs when subjected to rotational forces resulting from the arms accommodating themselves to a channeled work piece of Varying width, and each of said cross arms having disposed therealong an outward shoulder including inwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces facilitating the passage thereover of the inturned anges of the work piece into intertting engagement with the shoulders.

5. A one-piece sheet metal spring clip as claimed in claim 4, wherein the free ends of the latching fingers are provided with shoulder portions disposed to engage the edge of a Work piece aperture in opposition to the shoulders on said cross arms.

6. A one-piece sheet metal spring clip as claimed in claim 5, wherein the latching fingers are outwardly from the entering end of the stud section and having the free extremities thereof directed toward each other to provide the shoulder portions.

7. A one-piece sheet metal spring clip as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the cross arms is provided with an elongated outwardly directed lip portion above the shoulders and providing a recess for engaging the inturned flanges of the channeled Work piece.

OUGLJESA JULES POUPITCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,133,366 Van Uum Oct. 18, 1938 2,171,925 Fitts Sept. 5, 1939 2,300,478 Wiley Nov. 3, 1942 2,521,354 Flora Sept. 5, 1950 2,567,903 Bedford Sept. 11, 1951 

